Kwara state government has called for patience and understanding as former players of Kwara United FC today disrupted the team’s training session, ahead of the First Leg, First Round TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup encounter against RSB Berkane of Morocco.
The training at the Kwara Football Academy was truncated as the players claimed that they were being owed signed-on fees by past management and government.
According to findings, the players entered the pitch, seized some of the balls and other materials to create attention, adding that efforts were not being made to have them paid.
The attack today is a follow-up to several other attacks on the team by the former players, who claimed they were owed the fees and other allowances for the services rendered when playing for the club in the past.
Speaking on behalf of the group, the duo of Akeem Audu and David Kehinde Ayeni appealed to the state Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to have the debt paid, to cushion the effect of the current hardship on their families.
“To take care of our families is now something very difficult. Our entitlements need to be paid. We have appealed to all those concerned, and written to the government and the League Management Company about our plight, but we know this government can help us out’, they added.
The players appreciated Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for his efforts in sports development in the state and beyond.
While addressing the players, the Executive Chairman of the Sports Commission, Mallam Bola Mogaji said that efforts are being made to have the debt, which he clarified, was owed the players and officials by the past management and government, paid.
“My attention was called to the protest, and I have to come and address the players, and also let them know the positions of the government on the issue.
“I will want to commend them for giving me to honour to address them. I appealed to them, made them to understand that efforts are in top gear to have the debts cleared, and that I will personally supervise the payment of the debt, anytime the money is released’, he averred.
Kwara United FC eliminated AS Douanes 3-0 on aggregate in the Preliminary Rounds of the ongoing 2022/2023 TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup competition, and will play RSB Berkane in the first First Round on October 9th, at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, in Lagos.